Tshwane show signs of progress despite another final heartbreak

Despite the narrow loss, head coach Rozanne Matthyse believes her team has made significant progress and does not see it as a drought continuing. 

Tshwane finished eighth in Johannesburg last year, but in 2026 they reached the final and came within one goal of lifting the trophy.

Matthyse says the improvement from last season has been massive.

"I think people from the outside may see it as a drought, but for us we see progression. You don't experience progression in medals but you rather see it iin performance. We were eighth last year and now we took it all the way to the final - that's real progression."

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Tshwane booked their place in the final after edging their provincial rivals by one goal in an exhausting extra-time semi-final. 

The additional 14 minutes of high-intensity netball proved demanding, and Matthyse admitted that the physical and emotional effort in that game may have affected her side in the final against Cape Town.

Looking ahead, Matthyse says she will take time to rest before preparing for next year’s competition. 

Several of her players will now return to their universities to continue with their respective netball campaigns.

Tshwane remained unbeaten throughout the tournament until the final, where they suffered their only defeat in the match that mattered most. 

Matthyse says that is the reality of tournament netball, where one close game can decide the destination of the title.

She also pointed to the value of the experience gained by her relatively young squad, saying the campaign will help the players grow and become a stronger and more mature team in future championships.

"It wasn't our day and we are going to accept that because we aren't going to dwell on what could've or should've happened. For the players sake, they just have to be proud of what they have achieved and how competitive they were against a strong Cape Town team that has remained largely the same for seven years."